Last night was my Mum’s 50th birthday party and as a dutiful daughter I went to the party even though I knew it’d be full of relatives and family friends I haven’t seen in 10, 15 and even 20 years. To say I was dreading this party was an understatement. All I could think of was all the ‘Oh, I’ve heard so much about you”, “The last time I saw you, you were this big” “Wow, haven’t you grown up, what are you doing now?” comments I’d be hearing that night.

I know most people wouldn’t find this to be an issue but most people also love family reunions and finding out what has been happening with their long lost cousins and aunts. Me, if I were interested in that stuff or these people I’d have contacted them a long time ago so, mostly, it was like a little slice of torture.

It started fairly early, people I’d never met, people I hadn’t seen in ages and people I didn’t even remember all asking how I was going and where was I living, what did I do for a job and being in an IT related job people either try and talk about stuff they don’t know or have no idea what to say.

As I’m not really the most social person, awkward silences happened pretty fast in the conversations until they made excuses to go elsewhere.

So, what does a person do in this situation? Well, if you’re me you stay for an hour or so and then you sneak away out the back door and hope no one notices. 

It was so weird seeing all these little slices of my life all in one room, it made me feel like I was 10 again, at a family friends house for dinner, bored and waiting to go home. I assumed as I grew up, these events would become easier (especially with the addition of alcohol, granted I didn’t drink any last night) apparently not. I felt like the same kid, eating chicken schnitzel with someone telling me how much my Mum talks about me.

All in all, it was good to get out (plus we went to Goodberry’s for an after torture snack – Chocolate concrete with Cheesecake and Oreo, oh yeah!) even if I’m sure to feel my Mum’s wrath for the next few weeks.